Rhode Island Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Title II Formula Grant

The Formula Grants Program is authorized under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act and funds are made available as a result of the FY 2016 Department of Justice appropriations. The purpose of this program is to support state and local delinquency prevention and intervention efforts and juvenile justice system improvements. Program areas may include: planning and administration; state advisory group allocation; compliance monitoring; prevention; and activities to address the core requirements and improvement of juvenile justice system operations and policies, as found in section 223(a)(9) of the JJDP Act.

Rhode Island’s primary focus for the Title II Formula Grants Program 2015-2017 Three Year Plan will continue to be the improvement of the Rhode Island juvenile justice systems ability to respond to juvenile offending behaviors quickly and effectively. Rhode Island plans to use FY 16 funds to maintain compliance with the core protections afforded youth under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.

Rhode Island’s plan used crime and delinquency statistics to inform development of funding priorities. This plan attempts to move towards a developmental approach to juvenile justice in developing alternatives to system involvement and incarceration through the use of specialty court programs and juvenile hearing boards. These various efforts attempt to narrow the entry to the juvenile justice system. The Rhode Island Family Court is an essential element in Rhode Island’s plan with the Specialty Courts including the Juvenile Drug Court, Family Treatment Drug Court, Truancy Court, and Mental Health Clinic providing targeted services to specific areas of need.

NCA/NCF